No. 424 Squadron RCAF
Encyclopedia
| 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron | ||
|---|---|---|
| Squadron badge |
||
| Information | ||
| Role | Search and Rescue | |
| Aircraft Operated | CH-146 Griffon CH-146 Griffon The Bell CH-146 Griffon is the Canadian military variant of the Bell 412EP, a multi-use utility helicopter. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissance, search and rescue and aero-mobility tasks.... , C-130 Hercules C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport... |
|
| Home Station | CFB Trenton CFB Trenton Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad... |
|
| Motto | "Castigandos castigamus" - We chastise those who deserve to be chastised | |
| History | ||
| Date Founded | 15 October 1942 | |
| Badge | Heraldric Tiger | |
| Notable Battle Honours | English Channel and North Sea 1944-1945 , Baltic 1944-1945, Fortress Europe 1943-1944, France and Germany 1944-1945, Biscay Ports 1943-1944, Ruhr 1943-1945, Berlin 1944, German Ports 1943-1945, Normandy 1944, Rhine, Biscay 1943-1944, Sicily 1943, Italy 1943, Salerno |
|
424 "City of Hamilton" Transport and Rescue Squadron (Tiger) is a search and rescue/transport squadron of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
and based out of 9 Hangar with 8 Wing CFB Trenton
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
.
History
No. 424 Squadron was originally a Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF) bomber squadron formed on 15 October 1942 at RAF Topcliffe
RAF Topcliffe
RAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command and was home to 77 and 102 Squadrons flying the Whitley heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with Wellingtons
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
. On 1 January 1943 it joined No. 6 Group RCAF
No. 6 Group RCAF
No. 6 Group RCAF was an organization of Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadrons which operated from airfields in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War. Although 6 Group was RCAF, it was controlled by the Royal Air Force as part of Bomber Command. No. 6 Group had been previously active...
and took part in night bombing raids on Germany until 16 April 1943. It was then transferred to North Africa for attacks on Italian targets for three months and stationed in Tunisia during that time. Returning to the United Kingdom it was equipped with Halifaxes
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
for a year and after January 1945 with Lancasters
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
. During this period it was also known as No. 424 (Tiger) Squadron. As a RCAF bomber unit it was disbanded on 15 October 1945.
On April 15, 1946, the squadron was reformed at RCAF Station Hamilton
RCAF Station Hamilton
RCAF Station Hamilton was a station of the Royal Canadian Air Force located at Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada, south of the City of Hamilton.During the Second World War, it was a base for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, teaching pilots from allied commonwealth nations the art of combat...
as the 424 Light Bomber Squadron (Auxiliary). On September 19, 1952, the squadron was given the title "City of Hamilton" designation. The squadron was disbanded for a second time on March 31, 1964.
The third reincarnation took place on July 8, 1968 when the 424 Communications and Rescue Squadron was created at CFB Trenton
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
, where they remain today.
Current role
The 424 squadron today is responsible for search and rescue operations in the Trenton Search and Rescue Region (Quebec, Ontario, the Prairie Provinces and the entire Arctic). The squadron also provides transport capabilities in the region. The squadron is equipped with the C-130 HerculesC-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
transport aircraft and the CH-146 Griffon
CH-146 Griffon
The Bell CH-146 Griffon is the Canadian military variant of the Bell 412EP, a multi-use utility helicopter. The CH-146 is used in a wide variety of roles, including aerial firepower, reconnaissance, search and rescue and aero-mobility tasks....
Helicopter. The Griffon replaced the CH-149 Cormorant
CH-149 Cormorant
The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 , a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada...
helicopter in 2005 as the main rotary wing SAR aircraft.